The Weather Data Speaks Loud And Clear: The Planet is Getting Warmer
While global warming may be a controversial subject in political circles, it is hardly controversial within the scientific community. The evidence for global warming continues to mount in unmistakable terms. In the one hundred and thirty years that temperature readings have been recorded by meteorologists, the ten warmest years on record have all been in the last fifteen years. 2010 and 2005 were the warmest years on record, followed by 1998. Last year the trend continued with 2011 still placing in the top ten warmest years ever recorded for global surface temperatures (while it was cooler than 2010, it was still ninth warmest on record, according to NASA scientists). Although the actual increase in temperature is fairly modest, averaging less than one degree Celsius, the trend is crystal clear: the earth is getting warmer. Whatever, the cause may be, global warming is not a myth. It is an empirically demonstrated phenomena. The evidence is irrefutable. The new 2012 plant hardiness zone map illustrates the change as entire swaths of the United States have changed "climate zones" for plant hardiness based on rising low temperatures. Cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay have all entered new warmer climate zones. Warm has become the new norm.
US Public Skepticism, Especially Among Republicans, Does Not Gel with Empirical Reality
Sadly, even as the compelling evidence for global warming mounts, the US public has become less convinced that global climate change is occurring. Propaganda outlets, in affiliation with corporate backers and right-wing politicians have done a pretty good job of steering the public away from the scientific evidence. The entire slate of Republican presidential candidates, with the exception of Jon Huntsman (who is no longer in the race) has either considered global warming an outright fraud, or has argued that science on global warming is not settled, when in fact the scientific data is abundantly clear. Corporate green-washing and right wing politicians trying to score cheap political points with anti-government screeds and anti-environmental rhetoric have either deliberately obfuscated the facts or they have appeared stunningly ignorant of those facts, even though the data is readily available for anyone to read. Although the political and popular culture debate has been fierce, the scientific consensus is nearly unanimous, with over 97% of scientist in the field convinced that global warming is happening. While the future consequences of global warming are unclear, the fact that it is occurring seems to be borne out by all the available scientific data. Whether global climate change will be catastrophic or not is a fair topic of debate, but those who flat out deny that there is any evidence global warming exists have their heads buried firmly in the sand, either through willful ignorance or intentional deception.
Gelbspan, Ross (1998). The Heat Is on: The Climate Crisis, the Cover-Up, the Prescription, Perseus Books Group; Updated edition (September 1, 1998) ISBN 0-7382-0025-5.
Mooney, Chris (2005). The Republican War on Science. Basic Books. ISBN 0465046762.
Keith Darling-Brekhus - Keith Darling-Brekhus is a political and social analyst. He has an MA in Sociology from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
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